Caden Falline-Chinnia explained that his journey of playing basketball began at the age of three. “I believe the first time I played for an actual team I was 6, and that team was named Chick Webb at a recreational center in Baltimore City.”

Caden has been playing basketball since he was a toddler, but he has been around the game since before he was even born.  His mother was a basketball coach during the time she was pregnant with him.

One obstacle that Caden has faced while playing basketball has been “learning how to keep my emotions from hurting my team. I am still working on overcoming this challenge.”

Caden works to overcome his challenges by looking at what he could have done differently and better after every game or practice. He watches tons of films of himself and looks for different ways that he could improve.

After thinking of ways he could do better, he then goes to practice to improve “whatever it is that I need to be better at in the gym or with my parents at home. We as a team also overcome obstacles by having confidence in each other,” Caden said.

Another way he stays motivated is by thinking of the love he has for the game, which will always be the reason that he plays. Caden also knows that a lot of younger individuals are looking up to him, and he wants to do well for them as well.

He commented, “Since I started playing sports, my parents have always instilled in me that school always comes before sports, so I will always get my work done and then find time for basketball after.”

His biggest contribution to his success is the supportive people he has surrounding him. Caden said that his “great coaches,” including Varsity Boys Basketball Coaches Seth Goldberg and Jeremy Mellady, are very hard on him about creating good habits and becoming a good leader. His family is also supportive and ensures he is “working hard and doing well in school and on the court.”

Advice that Caden would give other athletes is to not be so hard on yourself or talk negatively about yourself. “Saying how bad you want something is all about your work ethic, so do not talk about your dreams and aspirations; go work for them. Also, try not to compare your journey to others, everyone is different, and comparison can be the thief of joy. Lastly, always have fun.”